India has suspended civilian flights to more than 25 airports located relatively close to the border with Pakistan, according to Bloomberg, a sign of escalating tensions following New Delhi's military strikes inside Pakistani territory.
The updated list of closures includes a private airport owned by the Adani Group in Mundra, sources said to Bloomberg. This brings the number of airports closed to civilian traffic to more than 25, after the government had previously ordered the closure of only 16 airports in response to increased security threats.
The closed airports include facilities in the northern and western cities of Chandigarh, Shimla, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, and Porbandar. Mundra Airport is a major gateway to India's largest privately owned commercial port, while Jamnagar Airport serves Reliance Industries' crude oil refinery.
This move indicates that India is adopting a more cautious approach than in previous confrontations, as it has carried out military strikes against Pakistan six times since 1947. Closing these airports will facilitate monitoring of the skies in the north and west of the country by defense forces in the event of retaliatory strikes by Pakistan, according to the people.
India said it targeted nine locations in Pakistan-administered territory in response to a recent terrorist attack in the town of Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. Islamabad, in turn, announced that the strikes killed civilians, including women and children, and vowed to respond at the appropriate time and place.
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